#;script.

  he sits beside her on the river bank,  feet dangling from the boulder over  the water, and he listens. tamlen's  always been a marvelous listener  when he wants to, but when it comes  to the well being of friends... of course  he has no option.

         the male sighs and gives the idle shake         of his head. one hand raises to rest on         pan's shoulder, and by craning his body,         he leans to look her in the eye.

  ' carry me?! are you crazy?! '

  tamlen struggles to stand back up,  his ankle already swollen grossly  all the way around. he hops on  the opposite foot to lean and try  to grab his bow and arrow before  the wolves show up again, but  it only results in him toppling  over onto the ground again.

  do you remember what happened?  the thought rings in his mind, eyes  downcasting within only a few more  moments.

       tamlen takes a minute to respond,       twiddling his fingers in his lap, but       when his gaze arises once more,       the elf nods, voice hushed;

  he's been feeling much worse  since the sickness returned, his  secret deal with a demonic force  setting a ticking time bomb on  the span he's set to stay okay.

      skin has already grown visibly darker,      muscle withered to bone and scrawniness      returning. he's weak, he knows, and there      is nothing he can do to stop it this time.

  tamlen looks over, a weary smile forced upon his face,  and one tear slips from pale eyes, dripping onto the  ground. another follows short after, and then another,  but he's smiling and trying the best he can to act like  he'll be fine.